Pep vs. Ange Ball Preview 🔵⚪️

Hail GFOP!

I type with fingers still pulsating after watching Ricardo Pepi, that child of El Paso, Texas, use his meaty Chucotown forehead to deliver 92nd minute Champions League glory for PSV Eindhoven. Drink this moment in. What must this first ever Champions League goal have felt like for this 20-year old kid from San Elizario, who has dreamed, and sacrificed and yearned. Then failed so publicly at Augsburg, be cruelly stripped of a place on a World Cup roster, yet still summon the tenacity and belief to pick himself up and soar once again? Ricardo has already packed so much into a career still so young, journeying from the desert alongside the Rio Grande to the bright floodlights of a European night. As he has proven time and time again, he can deliver clutch goals for his team. Channel the spirit of Pepi in life, dear readers, and good things will happen to you too. 

The highlight of my week was celebrating this moment with so many of you on our instant reaction Do It Live on YouTube, Presented by CashApp on Wednesday night. We had a caller from El Paso TX, Danny T, who talked with pride about what Pepi represents to the city, describing how all the gas stations have little stickers of El Tren behind the counter. I am honestly surprised that there is not a 100 foot statue of Ricardo standing tall at the city limits like some kind of Paul Bunyan in Akeley, Minn. Should we start a GoFundMe to make this real? I truly believe football will have finally made it in this nation if we unveil a giant Ricardo Pepi, arms aloft in celebration, made out of rebar, fiberglass, and welded steel.

More: Follow us on Tik Tok right now, baby. More than just Rog dancing while crying. I promise. 

2. To the Football 🥧

i. Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur (Sunday, 11.30 a.m. EST, P’Cock) 

Will Ange Postecoglou finally make some pragmatic tactical changes? With his defensive options savaged by injury and attackers lacking clinicality, once soaring Tottenham Hotspur are in a tailspin, losing three straight to Chelsea, Wolves and Villa. With Bentancur added to that already immense injury list, to go to Manchester and maintain a defensive line as high as Willie Nelson would appear self-destructive to lesser men. One sliver of hope: City have been far from omnipotent, dropping points in four of their last seven Premier League games and going 2-0 down at home to Leipzig midweek before storming back to glory. Remember this: The last time City were two goals behind at the interval at the Etihad was against Spurs. Pep’s halftime tongue lashing conjured four straight goals, leaving Guardiola mumbling about “happy flowers.”

ii. Newcastle United vs. Manchester United (Saturday, 3 p.m. EST, USA)

Two teams who departed Champions League play with draws that felt like losses. United’s case, death by self-inflicted Onana-ing. In Newcastle’s game at PSG, a courageous performance lanced by a late, late VAR decision that was unjust. The Toon continue to battle an 11-man injury list which would scupper sides with less collective heart. A must-watch game for rubberneckers, man-boob aficionados and the possibility of witnessing a midfield clash of homegrown tween sensations: 17-year-old Lewis Miley vs. 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo. 

More: United cannot seem to attack without being open, or control without being immensely dull.

And: Garnacho’s wondergoal last weekend spurred debate over best overhead kick? This one.

iii. Arsenal vs. Wolves (Saturday 10 a.m. EST, USA)

Top of the table Arsenal have had themselves a week. A five-goal Champions League first-half against Lens in which that front line suddenly clicked; Tomiyasu and Ben White poised to sign new contracts; even Kai Havertz banging away the goals and wheeling away, tongue out in astonished celebration. As vaunted an opponent as Arsenal pose, Wolves manager Gary O’Neil will be forgiven for believing his greatest foe is the VAR unit. Monday night’s loss against Fulham featured multiple inexplicable VAR decisions all going against Wolves for the fifth time this season.

iv. Nottingham Forest vs. Everton (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. EST, NBC Proper) 

A game soaked in fear and pain. Forest stagger in with uncertainty swirling around Steve Cooper’s job security for what feels like the 78th time in the last year. One win in your last nine matches will do that to you. My younger son just informed me that will soon be two in 10. Everton enter after lodging an appeal on their 10-point deduction and rumors flickering that a second, crushing punishment may be upcoming. 

More: This is one of the most delightful short stories I have heard about Everton in a long time.

v. Liverpool vs. Fulham (Sunday, 9 a.m. EST, P’Cock) 

Alisson is out with a hamstring knack for the next two weeks. Cue ginger wonder Caoimhin Kelleher, 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international stepping in as understudy. The ginger wonder kept a clean sheet in a midweek Europa League romp against LASK, in which the Austrian side’s highlight was their fans. Mo Salah should make his 300th Liverpool appearance. Incredible stat: Liverpool have won all 10 of their games at Anfield in all competitions this season, each by a margin of 2+ goals, becoming just the second English top-flight side ever to win 10 straight home games by 2+ goals, after Wolves 1938-39. 

3. More Football, Did Ya Say?

i. Incredible story of a former Spurs player who has dedicated his life to running a team for kids with down syndrome.

ii. The rise and fall of the Chinese League.

iii. Kissinger and his odd, honestly fairly awful, love of football. 

iv. Beautiful poem written by Britain’s poet laureate to the English Women’s Lionesses. 

4. This Week at Men in Blazers World Headquarters 🍻🍻🍻

Delivering more Flava In Ya Ear than Craig Mack. A busy week as we unleash an Advent Calendar’s worth of Pods, videos and digital offerings. 

We kicked things off yesterday with a new episode of “This Week in Wrexham,” Powered by SToK Cold Brew Coffee in which Football League Stanley Tucci, our own Tomi “Cheese” Lewis, explores the great British culinary delight of the “Chip Butty” — translation: a potato chip sandwich — and watches his side batter the Morecambe Shrimps. WATCH HERE. Coming up next week, a new episode of the companion Podcast for this beauty in which we sit down with Long Throw In King and Wrexham Hero Ben Tozer. Look for it on the Pod feed Tuesday. 

ii. And as the tide of European Football crashed ashore this week, it washed up a new episode of European Nights with the great Rory Smith alongside it. One of our favorite episodes of the series we’ve ever done and one that we defy you to listen to without a burning desire to visit San Sebastian. LISTEN HERE.

iii. And, of course, here for you every single morning on the Men in Blazers Media Network, starting their day in the overnight hours so you don’t have to, it’s the Men in Blazers Early Kickoff team. Our production team in London has been cranking out the hits week on week. Everything you need to know that will allow you to steam into the group chat like a Kovacic tackle and know exactly what all of your friends are talking about. It is on a different Pod feed than our regular fare, so if you’re not already, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Football Don’t Sleep and Neither Do We. 

5. AC Milan could do with a win. PSV only know Glory 🇮🇹🤌

After a 3-1 loss at home to Dortmund in the Champions League left them bottom of their group with one game left, AC Milan will look to recapture some consistency in their domestic form as they host Frosinone at the San Siro (Saturday 2.45 ET Paramount +). The Rossoneri still sit third in the table behind Juventus and Inter, but have gleaned just one win in their last five league games. The newly promoted Lazio-based Canaries are 10th, and yet to win away from home. Milan Manager Stefano Pioli is down to one centre back option after Malick Thiaw went off in the second half of Tuesday's match with what scans confirmed is a severe hamstring lesion. Thiaw‘a muscle injury means Pioli's squad has racked up 25 injuries thus far this season, with players missing a total of 89 games across all competitions. Amidst the carnage, Christian Pulisic is still fit! Let’s celebrate and deliver positive vibes only. 

More: PSV Eindhoven swagger away from their last minute heroic qualification for the Champions League knockout rounds by traveling to defending Eredivisie champions Feyenoord for a top of the table clash (Sunday, 6:15 a.m. EST, ESPN +) 🇳🇱.

Loved This: A thread of United States players scoring Champions League goals.

6. Wrexham are one game away from the possibility of a massive clash 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

The Stok Cae Ras hosts FA Cup action this Sunday (10:45 a.m. EST) as the Red Dragons take on former National League rivals Yeovil Town in the second round. All eyes will be on whether Wrexham's in-form goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo will be on Sunday's team sheet after picking up a head injury in Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Harrogate Town. In other news… Super Paul Mullin’s autobiography has just come out.

More: Listen to this interview with Paul Mullin and feel better about life by listening to that gent talking about his.

7. US Women. The Young and the Restless 🇺🇸🇨🇳

The US Women's team are back for the final time in 2023 facing China twice, Saturday in Fort Lauderdale (3 p.m. EST TNT, Peacock, Univision) and the following Tuesday, Dec. 5 in Dallas (8 p.m. EST Telemundo, Universo, Max, Peacock). China are currently coachless after crashing out of the World Cup at the group stage. The two sides last met in a pair of friendlies in June 2018, where goals by Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, and Alex Morgan secured both wins for the Americans. None of those veteran players will be on the field as the players, who have just met with their future coach Emma Hayes in Florida this week, are very, very young. We are about to enter the Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith era. Godspeed. 

More: New era begins for the USWNT. 

And: Women's Professional Sports to pass $1b revenue mark for the first time in 2024. But some asshole in college told me Women's sports don't make any money!!!

Men in Blazers x Bud Light Sweepstakes - Exclusive Prizes for GFOPs 🍺

You’ve long known about the GFOPs at Bud Light’s support of the game we all love. Now, they’re giving us the chance to give away some exclusive prizes only to those of you reading this newsletter. Entering is easy: just head to budlight.com/MIB to enter for your chance to win signed gear, exclusive Bud Light merch, and more.*

8. Not Football, and All the Better for it

i. New Sculpture in Leeds is beautiful and tragic and incredible in equal measure.

ii. Surreal scenes as Chanel prepares to do its annual fashion show… in Manchester.

iii. Beautiful tribute to the late, great Shane MacGowan. His loss stings even though he lived so much longer than he thought he would. 

iv. Pop-Tarts Bowl will have an edible mascot that the winning team will eat after the game. I fear for the winners of next year's Puppy Bowl. 

v. Joe Lindsey examines how hereditary hearing loss has impacted his lifelong love of cycling: Ride Sounds. Somewhat related, and equally cool: Matildas star Mazkenzie Arnold partners with Audika to destigmatise hearing loss.

vi. Is the Campus Novel Dead? This is not the TOP reason to lower the price of higher education but it certainly is one of them.

vii. I won the National Spelling Bee. This is what it takes to master spelling. Next year's winning word: "Szoboszlai".

viii. "Me want cookies. And me want answers." Nom Nom Nom. What’s the Deal With Cookie Monster’s Cookies?

ix. If you're looking for sleepless nights: Could You Sleep in a Clown-Themed Hotel?

x. Caity Weaver is a master of profile writing. Her latest: Everybody Knows Flo From Progressive. Who Is Stephanie Courtney?

xi. "Animals can't talk. But Ed Newcomer can." Go on....Secret Agent Man: Inside the High-Stakes World of Undercover Wildlife Agents.

xii. I love this song: Late Runner: There’s Always Room for You on My Cloud. 

That’s it for today. I want to thank so very many of you for your beautiful, wise, heartfelt messages of love and support at this bonkers time for me and my family. I am a bit overwhelmed and want to apologize for not being able yet to reply to each and every one. I want you to know just how much I appreciate them though. Great GFOP and Pep Guardiola-clothing analyst Patricia Li sent me a poem I want to leave you with. I am so incredibly grateful to all of you. Big, big love.

Those Winter Sundays by the great Robert Hayden

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. 

I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love’s austere and lonely offices?

To better days ahead for all.

Let’s savor every second watching football together. 

Big Love,

Courage

ROG

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